Louis Alexander Palestra

Home of Yellowjacket Volleyball, Women's Basketball, Men's Basketball, Intramural Sports, Special Events and Campus Concerts. The Palestra, housed in the Goergen Athletic Center, was built in 1930 and is named in honor of Louis A. Alexander. Director of Athletics and Chairman of the Department of Physical Education for Men, 1945-1966, Varsity Basketball Coach 1931-1957 and Varsity Baseball Coach 1934-1959. Alexander was an outstanding coach and leader in physical education, he enriched the lives of countless students at this University. Possessor of rare talent for developing competitive teams, he implanted high standards of sportsmanship and exemplified the best in intercollegiate athletics.

The Palestra has played home to over 30 All-Americans across the three sports that play there, men's and women's basketball and volleyball. In 1985, one of the NCAA's longest games took place in the Palestra when Rochester defeated Union College 99-98 in a marathon five overtimes. Some notable speakers who have graced the spotlight in the Palestra were former first lady and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, prominent journalists Fareed Zakaria and Robin Roberts, and famous poet Maya Angelou.

Features of the Louis Alexander Palestra:

NCAA Regulation Volleyball and Basketball Court
Seating for 1600
Team Locker Rooms
Scorer's Table and two scoreboards
State of the art sound system
Handicap accessible entrance and seating

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